I’m pregnant. What should I do if I think I have coronavirus?

If you have coronavirus, it’s completely understandable to feel anxious about how it may affect your baby. This is especially true when you’re already coping with the reality of social distancing and its impact on you and your family.

Be assured though that when it comes to the effects of the illness, it's unlikely that your unborn baby will be harmed by the virus if you have it.

Research so far suggests that pregnant women are no more likely to become seriously ill than other adults.

Experts think it’s possible for coronavirus to be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or birth. There have been two recorded cases of babies thought to have caught coronavirus in this way and both babies are well. So, although there have been upsetting newspaper reports of coronavirus in babies, remember the evidence shows that the risk of harm to your baby is low.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus and what should I do if I have them?
The most common symptoms of coronavirus are:

A new continuous cough cough. This means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or coughing a lot on three separate occasions in 24 hours. If you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual.

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Symptoms can also include two or more of the following:

Fever. This means a temperature of 38 degrees C or more if you measure it. Or you'll feel hot to touch on your chest or back.

Chills.

Repeated shaking with chills.

Muscle pain.

Headache.

Sore throat.

New loss of taste or smell.

Most people who catch coronavirus, including pregnant women, will have a mild or moderate illness. But some will develop severe pneumonia, which can be life-threatening.

If you already have a heart or lung condition, such as asthma, you may be more unwell if you have the virus.

Having coronavirus also increases your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), because it makes your blood more likely to clot. Drinking lots of water and moving around as much as you feel able will help prevent DVT.

Make sure you get your flu shot and whooping cough vaccination. Keeping yourself free of flu and other illnesses will lower your risk of serious complications from coronavirus.

If your doctor wants to see you, or advises you to go to a hospital, call before you arrive. Staff at your doctor's clinic or the hospital will need to take precautions to protect themselves, staff and other patients from catching the virus. Tell the receptionist again when you arrive.

States and territories are setting up Covid-19 assessment centres, special clinics and pop-up testing centres in cities and regional areas. Check your state or territory's health department website to check if there's a testing or assessment centre, or special clinic near you, and whether you need to call ahead before you visit it.

If you think you have coronavirus, or a test confirms you have coronavirus, you must self-isolate for 14 days to recover. This means not leaving your house at all. You should stay in a separate bedroom, use a separate bathroom, if possible, and wear a mask when other people are around you. You should also let your maternity caregiver know you have symptoms of coronavirus.

If you're diagnosed with coronavirus, everyone you live with will also need to self-isolate for 14 days from the day of your first symptoms, even if they’re not ill. If they do become ill, they'll need to self-isolate for 14 days from when they first have their coronavirus symptoms.

While you’re self-isolating, your maternity team may make special arrangements for appointments to make sure you and your baby are looked after while also keeping others safe. You may be offered some appointments by phone or video. Because your maternity team is likely to be extra busy, it may take longer than usual to get through and for them to get back to you.

A small number of pregnant women may react differently to viral infections and develop a more severe illness. This could be a chest infection that needs hospital care. So, if your symptoms are worsening or you're not getting better, contact your doctor, maternity care team or the National Coronavirus Helpline (1800 020 080) straight away.

If you're at all worried about the wellbeing of yourself or your baby, contact your midwife or doctor.

What should I do once I've recovered from coronavirus?
Once you’ve recovered from your symptoms, you'll be offered growth scans to check your baby, just to be on the safe side.

You should still follow your state or territory government's social distancing measures after you’ve recovered. Although it’s possible you may now be immune to getting coronavirus again, we can’t be absolutely sure. As difficult as this is, it's so you can protect you and your baby from any infection, as well as slow the spread of the illness in Australia.

You can still keep connected with friends and family. Make the most of your phone to get some group face time in with loved ones. Make it a fixed part of your daily or weekly schedule, as something to look forward to.

Under physical distancing measures, everybody should stay at home unless it's absolutely necessary to go out, such as shopping for necessities, exercising, any medical or healthcare need, providing care to or helping a vulnerable person, travelling to and from work or education if you can't do it at home. In some states and territories, you can also visit friends and family, in small numbers.

Gatherings both indoors and outdoors are now limited in size, with small exceptions for some special events, such as weddings and funerals. People of the same household can continue to gather inside or go out together, but some activities may be off limits under your state or territory's restrictions. There may also be travel restrictions in your area.

If you do have to go out, you should:

Keep at least 1.5 metres away from other people.

Try to use public transportation only during quiet times, or avoid it altogether, if possible.

Use tap-and-go where you can, rather than handling money.

To help prevent the infection from spreading, you should follow the same hygiene steps as you'd take with a cold or the flu:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice), especially when you get home or into work, cough or sneeze, eat or handle food. Make sure other family members wash their hands properly as well.

Face masks are effective for health professionals who are trained to use them. There's not much evidence that public use helps prevent the spread of the infection. They may also increase the risk of spreading if they aren't used properly.

There's no evidence that you need to have your baby by caesarean so you can go ahead with a planned vaginal birth if that's your choice. If you're planning to have a caesarean or be induced, this may be delayed until you’ve recovered from the virus, as long as it’s safe for you and your baby.

You'll need to think about who you'll have with you if your planned birth partner has the virus. If they have symptoms they won't be able to go to the maternity unit with you. Even if they don't have symptoms, they may have caught the virus from you. This means they'll be asked to wear a mask at the maternity unit and wash their hands frequently. You probably won't be able to have more than one support person with you.

Can I still look after my newborn while I have coronavirus?
After the birth, as long as your baby is well and doesn’t need special care, you’ll be kept together. You can still opt for delayed cord clamping and will be able to have skin-to-skin time if that's your choice.

You'll be able to bottle-feed or breastfeed your baby just as you had planned. There's no evidence that coronavirus is carried in breastmilk. In fact, the antibodies that your body has made to fight the virus will be in your breastmilk, and can help your baby.

Your baby will benefit from bonding with you, and your midwife will support you to keep your baby safe while cuddling and feeding. If your baby is well, there's no need to test for coronavirus, and you should be able to go home as soon as possible. But you'll have to self-isolate for 14 days, just in case your baby has caught it.

If your baby needs special care, your doctor or midwife will help you look after your baby in the way that’s best for you both.

Babies and children are thought to be less likely to catch the virus than adults and also less likely to become severely ill if they do get it. Find out more about coronavirus in babies and children, including advice on bottle feeding and breastfeeding while you have the virus.

Be assured that maternity units will be making special arrangements and taking extra safety precautions. Measures like extra cleaning and separate areas will help manage the spread of the virus and protect your baby. You can ask your doctor or midwife about your hospital’s policy, or check your hospital’s website, electronic notes or local maternity app. Safety procedures may also change over time to ensure you and your baby continue to be kept as safe as possible.

Sadly, women's shelters are reporting an impact on the lives of women and children living in isolation with abusive partners. If you are experiencing any kind of family violence, 1800RESPECT (the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service) has put together safety planning tips.

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